The invention relates in general to shaped charges and explosively formed projectiles or penetrators (EFPs) and in particular to methods of making shaped charges and EFPs.
Shaped charges may be one of the most efficient ways to defeat armor or fortified materiel. Liners for shaped charges may be made of a very dense material such as copper, tantulam, or the like. An explosive charge may be placed adjacent the liner. When the explosive charge is detonated, gas and pressure accelerate and shape the liner and transform the liner into a projectile. The projectile may have a very high velocity and, therefore, a very high kinetic energy. The high kinetic energy projectile may penetrate a large amount of material.
There are a number of conventional methods of making shaped charges. The performance of a shaped charge may depend not only on the type and quality of the material used to make the shaped charge, but may also depend on how the shaped charge is manufactured and assembled. Shaped charge liners may usually be machined, stamped or forged. Less-conventional methods of making shaped charges, such as casting and plasma spray, have also been tried. After a shaped charge liner has been manufactured, it may be used in a load and pack procedure to create a shaped charge. The shaped charge may include a high explosive material, a canister or container for holding a quantity of the high explosive in a predetermined orientation, and a liner.
Shaped charge liner shapes may be, for example, elliptical, fluted, conical, trumpeted, hemispherical, and linear. EFP liner shapes may be, for example, hemispherical or in the shape of a shallow bowl. Such shapes may be conveniently produced by additive manufacturing processes that use computer-aided design (CAD) software to generate three-dimensional (3D) objects, including geometrically complex 3D objects. Such additive processes may include, for example, stereolithography, 3D printing, selective laser sintering, direct metal laser sintering, and selective laser melting. These additive processes produce objects having anisotropic properties. However, anisotropic properties may be undesirable for shaped charge and EFP liners. Shaped charge and EFP liners and other components having isotropic properties may be more effective than components having anisotropic properties.
A need exists for a method of using CAD software and additive manufacturing processes to produce shaped charges, EFPs and components of shaped charges and EFPs.